This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-260165 filed on Aug. 29, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an arrangement of a temperature detector of an evaporator in a vehicle air conditioner. The present invention is suitably applied to a vehicle air conditioner having a cold storage unit cooled by an evaporator.
In a vehicle air conditioner 100 shown in FIG. 9, a temperature sensor 104 is disposed for detecting a temperature relative to an evaporator 103 disposed in an air conditioning case 102, and a compressor or an air temperature to be blown into a passenger compartment is controlled using the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 104. Further, a cold storage unit 105 is disposed at a downstream air side of the evaporator 103 to be cooled by air from the evaporator 103, and an air mixing door 107 is disposed between the cold storage unit 105 and a heater core 106. Generally, the temperature sensor 104 made of a thermistor is attached to a downstream air side surface of a core portion of the evaporator 103, such that a detecting portion of the temperature sensor 104 is separated from the downstream air side surface of the core portion for accurately detecting the air temperature from the evaporator 103. However, because the temperature sensor 104 is disposed to be separated from the downstream air side surface of the core portion, a downstream air side of the evaporator 103 cannot be effectively used. Accordingly, a distance between the evaporator 103 and the cold storage tank 105 becomes longer, and the size of the air conditioner becomes larger.
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner having a temperature detector effectively detecting temperature of an evaporator, which can be formed into a small size.
According to the present invention, in a vehicle air conditioner having an evaporator for cooling air passing therethrough, a temperature detector for detecting temperature of the evaporator is disposed to contact a tank of the evaporator. Therefore, a downstream air side space of a core portion of the evaporator can be effectively used, and the size of the air conditioner can be made smaller. Further, because the temperature detector contacts the tank of the evaporator, the temperature detected by the temperature detector has a high relationship with the air temperature blown from the evaporator.
Preferably, the evaporator is disposed in the air conditioning case to approximately cross an entire air passage in cross-section, and the temperature detector is disposed between the tank of the evaporator and the air conditioning case. Therefore, the downstream air side space of the evaporator can be more effectively used.
More preferably, the tank is arranged at an upper side of the core portion, and the temperature detector is disposed on an upper surface of the tank portion. Therefore, it can prevent the temperature detector from being covered by condensed water generated on the core portion of the evaporator with a simple attachment structure. Accordingly, the temperature detector can accurately detect the temperature relative to the air temperature blown from the evaporator.
Further, the temperature detector is disposed on an intermediate tank portion that is the other tank portion of the tank, except for first and second tank portions connected to a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet. Alternately, the temperature detector is disposed on the tank at a position separated from the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet at least by a predetermined distance. Therefore, the temperature detector can stably detect the temperature of the evaporator.
When the air conditioner has a cold storage unit that is disposed at a downstream air side of the evaporator to be cooled by the evaporator, a clearance between the evaporator and the cold storage unit can be made smaller, and the size of the air conditioner can be effectively reduced.